"AT low water there is to be seen, off the Land's End, towards the Scilly
Island (probably so called from the abundance of eel or conger fishes caught
there, which are called sillys, or lillis), for a mile or more, a dangerous
strag of ragged rocks, amongst which the Atlantic Sea and the waves of St
George's and the British Channel meeting, make a dreadful bellowing and
rumbling noise at half-ebb and half-flood, which let seamen take notice of to
avoid them.

"Of old, there was one of those rocks more notable than the
rest, which tradition saith was ninety feet above the flux and reflux of the
sea, with an iron spire at the top thereof, which was overturned or thrown
down in a violent storm, 1647, and the rock was broken in three pieces. This
iron spire, as the additions to Camden's "Britannia" inform us, was thought
to have been erected by the Romans, or set up as a trophy there by King
Athelstan, when he first conquered the Scilly Islands (which was in those
parts); but it is not very probable such a piece of iron, in this salt sea
and air, without being consumed by rust, could endure so long a time.
However, it is or was, certain I am it commonly was called in Cornish, An
Marogeth Arvowed, i.e., the Armed Knight; for what reason I know not,
except erected by or in memory of some armed knight; as also Carne-an-peul,
i.e., the spile, spire, or javelin rock. Again, remember silly lilly,
is in Cornish and Armoric language a conger fish or fishes, from whence
Scilly Islands is probably denominated, as elsewhere noted." [a] Mr Blight
says this rock is also called Guela, or Guelaz,--the "rock
easily seen."